Why Me
by Mimiheart
Summary: Even at a young age, Severus Snape didn't think much of self pity. However, even he was not above the occasional bouts of it. PreHBP post hbp version at OWL


AN: Thanks to the lovely Leianora for beta reading. Also, for some reason, I can't get this to read my separations, after every "why me" there's a break.

Disclaimer:Disclaimed

Even at a young age, Severus Snape didn't think much of self-pity. However, even he was not above the occasional bouts of it.

At age 8, his mother died, and his father turned into someone that young Severus did his best to avoid. One day, while hiding in one of the restrooms in Snape Manor, he looked at himself in the mirror. Black eyes stared back at him, and he asked himself, "Why me?"

At age 11, he boarded the Hogwarts train with a horrible cold. He found a compartment, and blew his nose just as a group of boys his age came in.

"What's your name?" One of them asked.

"Severus." He sniffed, trying to clear his nose.

"Hear that? James, meet Snivellus."

The boys continued taunting him, and he ran from that compartment to one that was unoccupied. He hung his head in his hands. "Why me?"

At age 16, Severus suffered the most humiliating thing in his life. Hung upside down in front of the school, saved by a mudblood, then stripped. His father was going to kill him when he found out, and he was going home in too short a time to not think about it.

He heard the snickers as he stormed down the hall. Avery grabbed his arm and he spun around to face him.

"The Dark Lord can protect you, Severus," Avery hissed in his ear, "tonight in the forest."

Severus nodded, not allowing the tears to fall.

As the mark was burned into his arm, before he passed out from the pain, he had just enough time to think, "Why me?"

At age 18, Severus approached the shrieking shack. The Dark Lord would certainly be interested in this passage onto school grounds...along with anything else he may find.

James Potter grabbed him pulling him from what he later found out to be a deadly trap. Black never stopped laughing at the situation.

Just as it was dawning on him that he owed a wizard's debt to Potter, Dumbledore swore him to secrecy on what he had learned. He punched the wall in the corridor and cursed. "Why me?"

At age 21, Severus approached Dumbledore; he couldn't take the punishments from The Dark Lord any longer. His head hung in shame, he spoke to his former headmaster.

"I seek asylum, and I'll do anything you ask to get it."

Dumbledore, his damnable eyes twinkling, just took the pale man into his arms. "You have no idea how long I have waited for you to come to me, Severus."

That night, feeling the safest he had in years, he traced the tattoo on his forearm. "Why me?"

At age 32, Severus had the worst class imaginable. There sat James Potter's insufferable son, staring into space with his mudblood mother's eyes.

He circled the class and came behind Potter. "Mr. Potter, were you going to stare your potion into creating itself? Or perhaps you were thinking, 'Let's redecorate the dungeons!' Get to work, NOW!" he seethed at the paling Gryffindor brat.

Just as he was turning to get back to his Slytherins, he heard a loud crash as Longbottom's cauldron fell to the ground. The potion inside was spreading rapidly across the floor, and smoke was filling the room. With a quick flick of his wand, he vanished the mess.

He stared up at the ceiling and shook his head. "Why me?"

At age 36, Dumbledore pulled him aside and asked him to teach his enemy's son Occlumency.

"Sir, I must object, I can never..."

One look from Dumbledore stilled any further objections, and he sighed.

"Only if I may use your pensieve. I refuse to have that boy have full access to my memories."

The twinkle returned to the man's eyes, he smiled and said, "Of course, dear boy."

Dumbledore turned and walked away, leaving Severus to wonder, "Why me?"

At age 38, Severus stood in the middle of the final battle.

He watched as The Dark Lord started gain ground, as he pushed his way into Potter's mind.

Potter started to fall to his knees, and Severus ran to catch him. The boy panted as he tried to push The Dark Lord out. Severus held him up, and added his shields to the boy's.

Together they ignored the fighting around them as they shoved the creature Tom Riddle had become out of Potter's head.

He added his power to the boy's and The Dark Lord screamed in agony. As the final breath left his body, Potter crumpled into Severus's arms.

He scooped the boy up, and carried him to where he could see Dumbledore.

The fighting stopped, as the Death Eaters realized what had happened to their master. Some surrendered, others simply apparated away. Severus set the boy gently at Dumbledore's feet.

"The Dark Lord is dead, Headmaster."

Dumbledore looked down at the unconscious, but alive, Harry. "Ah, so I take it you know what the 'power the Dark Lord knows not' is?"

Severus's black eyes flashed dangerously. "Why, me."


End file.
